Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Our dear friends just moved into a new home and while they have been busy painting, unpacking, and doing yard work, they haven’t had a lot of time for cooking. I made this big pan of lasagna to help them out. Since they have been working so hard I decided to make this lasagna a little more hearty than I normally cook… they needed the calories since they were burning them off so quickly!! I used regular Italian sausage which is always a real treat and I didn’t skimp on the cheese. I also did two layers of the ricotta mixture because my girlfriend really loves it. The lasagna smelled so amazing while it baked– it literally made me drool. Our friends were happy to have a home-cooked meal instead of takeout and they thought it was delicious.

Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna:

Ingredients:

• 5 Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 20 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (divided)
• 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 4 cups of marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• Lasagna noodles (no-boil)

How to Make an Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage (casings removed), making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Once the meat is brown and the onion is tender, add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain any grease.

In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, spinach, basil, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese. Combine until mixed thoroughly.

Layer a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay however many lasagna noodles you need to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the noodles; add another layer of noodles; spread a bit more sauce on top of the noodles followed by the Italian sausage; add another layer of noodles then spread the last half of the ricotta on top.

Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a bit more dried oregano on top of the cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let the lasagna cool for several minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.